


Something Magic

by Imagined



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Magic, Wizards, stephen has always been a wizard, tony is an ordinary human - in as far as tony is ever ordinary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagined/pseuds/Imagined
Summary: There is only ever one rule that matters:do not fall in love with the enemy.





	Something Magic

**Author's Note:**

> This is... this is 9k of me trying to do something different. I had so much fun writing this, though. Hope reading it is equally enjoyable! Don't mind me going nuts in the tags because I didn't know what to put there. oops.

He has always been special.

Stephen is a wizard. A spectacularly talented wizard – perhaps not much of a surprise, given how magically inclined his entire family was. He grew up sheltered with the other wizards and witches and he was taught by the Ancient One once he was old enough.

But he has always been special. He had known it from his parents’ whispers in the dark. He had known it from the way he longed for something more than just the sparks at his fingertips – he still knows it, with every breath he takes, that he does not belong.

Well, he belongs. But there is a part of him that does not, at the same time.

It starts – well, it starts when Stephen is a child.

That is only partly the beginning; it is where his parents would begin to explain that they had noticed that their son was different from the other wizards. Magic comes to him as naturally as to any other in their community, but he is more.

His mind is sharp as a razor and his questions are insightful. He never stops demanding answers; the magic responds to him, explains to him, but it is not _enough_. The answers are never enough.

The true beginning lies in a history no one alive truly remembers.

~*~

Stephen looks down at the man in his arms. Tony is soundly asleep, his dark curls resting against Stephen’s shoulder. His eyelashes flutter and his nose wrinkles, but then he breathes out deeply and buries his face deeper.

‘’I do not care how this ends,’’ Stephen whispers. ‘’It will have been worth it to hold you.’’

Of course, things are never that simple.

~*~

Once upon a time –

there was a witch in love.

Once upon a time –

a scientist was in love, too.

If you think this is a fairy-tale, think again.

They died.

This is a blood-soaked

history

filled with monsters.

~*~

Stephen goes to university as the first wizard since the war started. Of course he is given many rules to comply with; the ordinary humans cannot learn of his magic, and he cannot tell them who he truly is. It is rough for him to get used to another way of life but Stephen is smart and manages.

He is a wizard and he is becoming a doctor. It seems too good to be true – for a long time, it is.

Stephen does not make many friends – after all, he is behind enemy lines, even if the foes themselves are not aware of it. He cannot get close to anyone, and besides, he likes being on his own. His home, the Sanctum in New York, is always crawling with other wizards and witches. He prefers his solitary existence in university, and it gives him plenty of time to catch up with everything he needs to know about the Nons (it is what they call the non-magical humans, their enemies, their _murderers_ ).

He is content, and his family is satisfied, for Stephen does not break any rules. He is one of the best students, getting high scores on all his tests, and he revels in the feeling of succeeding at something he is _not_ meant to be. He is a great wizard; being a great doctor too makes him grow bold and confident – a bit too much, some would say.

Stephen Strange is on top of the world, and no rules are broken.

~*~

The rules are easy. Stephen does not have to do much to keep them, even as his mother’s voice echoes in his head.

_There is only ever one rule that matters, Stephen. The one rule you must abide:_

_do not fall in love with the enemy._

He had scoffed when she had said it to him.

~*~

The true beginning is love.

Wizards and witches do not yet hide their existence; they live together as a community, but it is not in secret. Some Nons come after them – they always do – but mostly, they are left alone and in peace.

That is, until love comes around for a rather unlikely couple.

A witch from the Sanctum of London dares fall in love with a man who searches for answers in nature and logic and searches for evidence, someone who sees the world in a different light than others before him have. He is bright and talented, but he is also kind-hearted and warm. She sees something unique in him, and he falls in love with her sharp remarks and tender cares. When he learns of her powers, he does not fear her, but starts appreciating her even more.

He marries her and two daughters are born from their love. His name gets known in the community, and his kind and gentle manners instil a respect for him. Science and magic are at peace and live in on in their two children.

The nineteenth century is just around the corner in Britain when one of his friends sees his eldest daughter let fire dance on her fingertips and takes her. The friend exposes his daughter to the scientists, who barely believe their own eyes.

The screams of his daughter haunt him and the wizards rise against the injustice done to one of their own. It only leads to a conflict between the magical community and the scientific one. Science experiments on magic, magic retaliates, science strikes back. 

It is the witch who tells her people to return to the Sanctum. It is she who tells them to keep it safe and to hide until science can accept them. The magical community does not agree with this and keeps striking. The conflict turns into a war, bloody and inhumane – experiments and curses fly over the place, until the entire world has turned upside down. Science and technology grow bolder and more experienced as it matures, and yet magic never changes. 

The witch dies and the scientist watches and cries out in mourning, clutching his screaming youngest daughter. The man who used to be his friend drops the body and the knife he used to cut her down, his eyes filled with both loss and gain. The war continues, unperturbed by the loss of one.

Unperturbed by the loss of many.

The scientist tells his deceased wife’s people again that this is a war that cannot be won. A war that must not be won but resolved.

After years and years of bloodshed and mutual hatred, the wizards refuse to simply give up and the scientist mourns for the peace he had taken for granted all his life. They banished him, forgetting his acts of kindness and compassions, instead seeing him as one of _them_ – their enemies. He flees far away from both science and magic, with the child born of both. 

Eventually, long years after his death – illness took him, as his surviving daughter sat beside him and watched him decline and she mourned and resolved to live for him and her mother and her sister – the magical community decided the losses were too great.

(‘’It was not worth it,’’ he whispers to his daughter, holding her pale hand. He mistakes her for his wife, sometimes, and she does not say anything. ‘’I lost you, and for that, it was not worth it.’’)

The war, they said, is to be fought in a more clandestine manner. A way that would make sure they did not lose as many people. The leaders forbid their people to study science or pursue a career in such a thing – technology and science are the bane of their existence, and its practitioners are their enemies. 

The daughter returns to her people with a heavy heart, knowing she is not welcome anymore in the world of the Nons. She finds love with another wizard, who keeps her safe and warm and wipes away her tears and tells her she will be okay.

Centuries later, one of her descendants is born, and his name is Stephen Strange. 

The war still goes on, and the magical community still hides.

~*~

His name is Tony Stark, and Stephen Strange has never met someone so exhaustingly infuriating. 

They meet through a mutual friend – in as much as Stephen has friends, at least – and since that moment, it seems he keeps running into Tony. As much as he wants to dislike the young technological prodigy, he is drawn to him in a way he finds hard to explain.

Tony is – Tony is light and optimism, flexible and open-minded curiosity, aware of the wonders around him and always running for answers. Stephen starts to enjoy his presence, his endless monologues about the nature of things. Tony does not care for the war with the magic world – his father makes weapons to track Stephen’s people down to trap them and experiment on them, and Stephen has heard of the name ‘Stark’ often enough that it makes him wary of the son, at first.

He learns soon enough that Tony is nothing like his father. Tony disapproves of his methods; a scientist who is fascinated with magic and its nature, but does not want harm to come to the magical community. A scientist who looks at wizards and witches, and sees them as equals.

(‘’We will never allow the magical community to explain anything to us,’’ Tony says bitterly, one evening, ‘’because now they are hunted. I can’t blame them, you know; we are bastards. Experimenting on anything to see how it works, _why_ it works. I wish things were different, but they aren’t, and it’s our own fault. We can’t live in peace if it means living with a curiosity that is not sated. We can’t live with anyone who is different.’’

Stephen looks at him and does not answer.)

His name is Tony Stark, and Stephen Strange has never met someone so wonderfully delightful.

~*~

Once upon a time –

a wizard fell in love and

Once upon a time –

the wizard hid his love because it could never be returned;

because his people would not accept it;

because he was afraid his world would

burn.

~*~

Stephen sits in the classroom with the Ancient One. He is thirteen and thinks he knows the world.

‘’Why can we not defeat the Nons?’’ he asks, chin raised in defiance. ‘’There are spells – I know there are. Dark spells that we can use to defeat them. We will not have to hide anymore, we can fight back and we can _win_.’’

The Ancient One only gazes upon him, still and serious. Her face betrays no emotions; she does not even offer him the ghost of a smile she sometimes does.

‘’Tell me, young Strange,’’ she says after a few minutes. His classmates are holding their breath as she continues. ‘’Would the world be off better without Nons? Are we superior for having been born with magic? Should we make them fear and respect us and make them slave to our wills?’’

(In the meantime –

‘’Is it better to be feared or respected?’’ Howard Stark says.

Cameras are trained upon him. A smirk adorns his face as he lies a hand on the shoulder of his young son, the prodigy he calls his future. The boy’s expression gives away nothing of his feelings.

‘’Is it too much to ask for both?’’)

Stephen nods. ‘’Yes.’’

Then she does smile at him, but it is a sad smile and Stephen feels as if he has given the wrong answer. Impossible; he knows all the answers. He is very good at knowing them.

‘’You still have much to learn,’’ she says. ‘’There are a few spells that would eliminate all the Nons and grant us a safe life; but at what cost? These spells are not cast lightly, young ones, and to cast them would mean to be banished from our community for the most grievous crime one could ever commit. I know the Nons are our enemies and I know they kill our people – but not all of them are bad, and not all of them will want to harm you. Some of them advocate for our rights even now, to make peace.’’

‘’They are liars,’’ Karl Mordo states firmly.

‘’No, they are not,’’ the Ancient One answers. ‘’They are just as human as you and me. Hiding and fighting may be necessary for now, but if peace comes, we should take it. We have fought long and have lost many; war is not a glorious thing. You will learn this with time.’’

~*~

Tony holds Stephen’s hand as they run through the hallways of Tony’s childhood home. It is grand and old-fashioned, and Stephen is reminded of the Sanctum. There is no lingering presence of magic but there is history.

Tony is smiling as he guides him, bright and child-like, until they arrive in a room that feels like another world when Stephen steps inside. It is a workshop: devices and scraps are scattered everywhere, a desk filled with equipment and scribbles on notes. It is _Tony_ and Stephen thinks that perhaps, he was wrong. There is a magic here, but it is not the magic that he is so familiar with.

This is _science_ , and maybe the two are closer to each other than he has always been taught. It fills him with wonder and curiosity, and he runs his finger along a small robot that stands deactivated against the wall of Tony’s room.

Tony’s smile has softened into something more melancholic as Stephen turns back to him. ‘’That is Dum-E,’’ Tony explains as he crouches next to the small robot. ‘’My first AI. I know it sounds stupid, but he was there for me when no one else was. A friend I built for myself. Childish, right?’’

‘’No, I do not think so,’’ Stephen says quietly. ‘’I think you are very talented, and I think that you deserve love in any form it comes.’’

Tony’s eyes are fixed on him, brown and liquid. ‘’In any form?’’ he repeats.

Stephen tilts his head. ‘’Why did you bring me here?’’ he asks. ‘’Why do you want to share this with me?’’

Tony grins, at that – sharp and beautiful, like his mind. ‘’You know why, Strange.’’

Stephen prides himself on knowing the answers to everything, so yes, he does. He knows how he feels about Tony, and Tony has given him enough carefully chosen signals and hints that Stephen also knows how he feels. There is something between them that he cannot name.

He knows it is a bad idea – knows it is the start of something that cannot end happily. He kisses Tony anyway, and Tony kisses him back. He does not care for the war. He remembers the rule – 

_do not fall in love with the enemy_

and yet he takes the jump and

it does not feel like falling but like

flying.

~*~

Stephen is seventeen the first time he knows someone that is taken by their enemies. He has grown up with the other children in the New York Sanctum under the Ancient One’s watchful eye. His childhood is marked by innocence and curiosity.

It is a girl that was in his class once that the Ancient One brings home one day. He does not remember her name and feels a twang of guilt in his chest at the thought. Her face is bruised; her head is shaved; surgical cuts scar her body.

Stephen is there only by accident, but the Ancient One does not turn him away as he kneels beside her, assessing the damage done to her with his magic. 

‘’Can she –‘’

The words stick in his throat.

The Ancient One looks at him. ‘’No,’’ she answers quietly. ‘’Magic can heal her body, but not her mind.’’

‘’Why do they continue to experiment on us?’’ Stephen asks, and if he had been only a little younger, he would have shouted. ‘’What do they think they can still learn? Have they not done to us enough?’’

‘’All your life you have been asking questions,’’ his teacher says. ‘’Now you are asking the right ones. Why do you think, Stephen?’’

It does not take him long to think of the answer. ‘’They are afraid of us.’’

She nods. ‘’They are. They do not understand why we can do what we do. They do not understand the connection we have. They hate us because we can do things that they will never be able to master.’’

Witches come to help, but the Ancient One waves them away as she lays down the girl on a bed in the medical wing. Her magic glows over the girl’s skin; the wounds disappear, but she remains asleep.

‘’You told us that not all Nons are bad,’’ Stephen says quietly, watching her perform her quiet magic. ‘’I cannot see it.’’

‘’You have lived a sheltered life so far, Stephen Strange. You have not encountered many Nons and your perception is warped, which you very well know. Still, we have allowed you to be taught in some scientific subjects, in as far as we could: do you wonder why that is?’’

Stephen raises his eyebrows. ‘’I am good at it. Very good.’’

She acknowledges it with a flashing smile before focusing on her patient again. ‘’In part, yes. I was the one who convinced the community it would be a good idea to let you learn. Wizards and witches have not been near science since the war broke out, and it has been for a good reason. We have our own way of doing things, after all. Your mind works differently; you need more explanations than magic is willing to give you. I believed that if we let you turn to science again, as the first of our kind, it may be a step towards peace. If you can do both, then you can be a start to bring together our community with the Nons who are ready to lay down their arms. That is why we have decided to let you go to a Non university.’’

Stephen looks at her. ‘’A real university?’’ he asks, his voice going low. ‘’To master a subject in science?’’

‘’Yes,’’ she says. ‘’Which subject is up to you to choose. But I think I have a feeling of what may suit you best.’’

She looks down at the girl on the bed, sadness pulling at her lips. Stephen follows her gaze. ‘’I want to see the compassion of the Nons you told me about,’’ Stephen says. ‘’I want to see them save lives, instead of taking ones. I want to learn how to heal instead of maim. If I can see for myself that they _care_ – that they are not monsters who only know how to harm us – I will try to be what you want me to be.’’

‘’Oh, Stephen,’’ the Ancient says kindly. ‘’You already are.’’

~*~

I am –

what you want me to be. At least, I will try to be.

Tony looks at him, his eyes dark. He is desperate and Stephen knows it is his fault. It is because he was born like this.

He has never wished he was not a wizard, but it is hard to hold onto the pride of it now. He is both a wizard and a scientist, the first of a kind – or perhaps he is neither. He is not so certain of anything anymore and it is a humbling feeling.

‘’You already are,’’ Tony says. ‘’But as it turns out, you should not be.’’

‘’Tony –‘’ Stephen starts, but is cut off by Tony’s bitter laugh.

‘’Why did you not tell me before?’’ he says sharply. ‘’Why did you not tell me before you kissed me? Why did you not tell me the day after? Why are you telling me now?’’

It has been a year and it has been a wonderfully kept secret.

It has been the greatest year of Stephen’s life, and he would like to continue if he can. He cannot do that without the truth – and he owes Tony answers, at the very least. ‘’Because,’’ Stephen starts, flexing his hands. They are hiding in an abandoned classroom. Both of them are very nearly done with their studies and Stephen needs to know they have a future. He needs to hear that Tony will stay.

‘’Because what?’’ Tony presses. ‘’You’re a – you’re a wizard, Stephen. And I didn’t know. How could you – why would you do that to me? Why are you here anyway? Did you – I have to know. Is all of it a lie? Did you only pretend to love me so you could come closer to my dad? Are you here to take him down?’’

Tony’s father – the renowned war profiteer, engineering all of his weapons to capture and kill the magical community. One of the many reasons this is such a bad idea.

Stephen shakes his head. ‘’Because I need you to stay,’’ he whispers fervently. ‘’I thought – I used to think all Nons were blood-thirsty murderers. And then I met you, and I learnt what my teacher always said to me. I wanted to become a doctor to see if your people could care, and I know now.’’

‘’Why are you here, Stephen?’’ He takes solace in the fact that Tony has not yet left, but the way he stares makes something in Stephen’s heart twist violently.

He opens his hand and creates a flame. It dances in the darkness, and Tony is drawn to it, even if Stephen can see that he does not want to be. ‘’I want to be able to explain the world,’’ Stephen says. ‘’I am a wizard, but I have never been normal. I ask questions – I search for logical reasons. Since the war started, my people have forsaken science. I’m a mix of both, Tony. I’m both magic and science and that’s why I came here. To _be_ both.’’

Tony looks at him, leaning in closer.

‘’I knew there was something about you,’’ he whispers, and Stephen smiles even as Tony presses the first kiss against his lips.

~*~

Once upon a time –

a wizard fell in love and

Once upon a time –

a scientist fell in love, too.

This is not a fairy-tale;

(is it blood-soaked history? is it burning horror?)

but it can be something else.

~*~

It goes like this –

for over a year, Stephen studies and dates Tony and falls even further in love. He goes back to the Sanctum in New York when he can to see his parents and the Ancient One, and updates them on how he is doing. He is still on top of his class; he tells them he does not have much contact with the Nons. He also tells them he cannot quite think of all of them as ‘enemies’ anymore.

The Ancient One smiles – he wonders if she knows about the scorching love inside of him, burning down his world and his view and everything he ever thought he knew – and says nothing. His parents are proud of his achievements, of course, and the rest of the magical community seems wary but positive, on the overall. The war has gone on long enough, and most of them would be ready to make peace had it not been for the extensive witch-hunts still going on, led by some companies. Most notable of these is Stark Industries.

(‘’Peace?’’ says Howard Stark, sneering. 

The boy in the corner, the prodigy Howard calls his future, only looks on as his father pulls up the reports of the latest finding on the wizards and witches he has managed to catch. Nothing ever comes from it, the young child knows. He wonders why others have not realized the same thing – is it hope? It is foolishness, he decides. They keep developing new technologies and claim that now has come the time to understand the world – to understand magic. They take them and torture them and Tony has seen them, sometimes, wizards and witches broken by science and he hates his world for that.

‘’Peace,’’ Howard Stark repeats. ‘’Peace is impossible. These are not human beings, these are lab rats. Nothing more. You cannot make peace with something that is not _human_.’’

The prodigy he calls his future is silent and hopes he will never become like this.)

After a year of dating, he tells Tony the truth about himself. Tony does not fear him, but starts appreciating him even more. He does not experiment and he does not give him away, and in return, Stephen shows him his magic. He loves the twinkle in Tony’s eyes as he does so.

They work together, and they blend beautifully. For a while, Stephen starts to believe he can get away with it. If he can convince his people that Tony is a worthy ally, that he can and will _help_ – maybe they can have a future. He does not want to hide it anymore, neither who he is nor who he loves. He is proud of both.

Of course, this is not a fairy-tale, and it does not last.

~*~

His old friend stares at the unconscious body lying on the cold stone. ‘’What does a scientist know of pain?’’ he says to himself. ‘’What does he know of being a lab rat? They say we are not humans, and yet, they are more inhumane than we have ever been.’’

The world burns – and nothing has changed. It is still

blood-soaked

horror

monstrous

and we call it history and detach the pain from it.

~*~

Karl Mordo stands in the door opening of his family’s home when Stephen returns home. He feels light – it is winter, and Tony had taken him to a park and kissed him in the snow and made a snowman with him. Stephen had added a tinge of magic to make sure it will last longer, and he held Tony’s hand as they had gotten a coffee and shared it between them. Tony had laughed and kissed him again, tasting of the bitter liquid. His cold nose had pressed against Stephen’s, and he had been happy.

‘’Stephen,’’ Karl says.

‘’Hello, Karl,’’ Stephen greets him easily. They had been friends, a long time ago. He remembers magical combats between them, laughter between friends. Karl is a year older and had helped him with his transportation spell. It brings up fond memories. ‘’Can I help you?’’

‘’I heard you’re busy with the university work,’’ his old friend says, something thoughtful in his voice. ‘’How is that going? Becoming a Non doctor?’’

‘’It is very informative,’’ Stephen says and gives away nothing else. 

Karl regards him silently. ‘’You know, I had great hopes for you,’’ he starts then. ‘’When I heard you were going to a Non university, I thought it was for our cause. You used to know how terrible our enemies are as well as I do – I thought, this is a good thing. We can use this against them, and I could look past your inclinations towards science. We all have our talents, of course, no use in blaming you for yours. But then I saw you today – and that wasn’t a wizard that was with you. That was the son of Howard Stark, wasn’t it?’’

A thousand excuses rise in Stephen’s mind together with the alarm. He can say that he is using Tony to bring down Stark Industries; he can say he is using Tony’s brain against them; he can say that he has cursed Tony into believing he loves Stephen to hurt him; he can say a thousand things that will make Karl think more kindly of him – a thousand things that will make sure his secret is kept.

He does not think he can make any of them convincing.

‘’And?’’ Stephen presses, his heart hammering in his chest. Magic sizzles in his hand, ready to be released if it comes to that.

Karl tilts his head. ‘’I’m not a fool, Stephen. You’re in love with a Non, aren’t you? You fell for the enemy – and the biggest enemy we have, at that.’’

‘’He isn’t a threat,’’ Stephen says as calmly as he can manage.

Karl huffs out a breath, shaking his head as if he had hoped differently. ‘’I will be the judge of that,’’ he answers, and walks away.

Stephen blinks as he leaves and tries to call Tony. It goes to voice-mail, and he tries not to panic. Tony often does not pick up – it’s possible that he is busy with an experiment, or asleep, or taking a shower. 

He does not believe it is any of that.

Instead of going to his parents, he races towards the Ancient One’s lodgings, walking in without knocking. She sits there, meditating; she does not even look up as he enters.

‘’I need your help,’’ he says.

Then she turns to look at him and waves at the space before her. ‘’Tell me everything,’’ she says.

He does. It does not sound like a fairy-tale to him.

~*~

Stephen feels –

anxietyworrypainexhaustion.

The Ancient One lays a hand over his. ‘’I cannot save him,’’ she says, and though her voice is apologetic, Stephen knows she does not regret her choice. ‘’I cannot go against Karl Mordo for the sake of a Non – he is a great wizard. He is one of our own.’’

‘’Like I am?’’ Stephen snarls. ‘’Tony has never harmed anyone! He has kept my secrets, and he –‘’

‘’They are not his to keep, Stephen,’’ she says. ‘’You brought him into this situation.’’

‘’Tony is my –‘’

‘’Your love, yes,’’ the Ancient One interrupts him sharply. Stephen is reminded of how harsh her tone could be. She is kind, yes, but not unforgiving. Not without mercy when she deems it necessary. She has choices to make, and she always stands by them. ‘’When will you start learning this is not _about you_ , Stephen Strange?’’

‘’It’s not,’’ he acknowledges. ‘’It’s about _Tony_. No matter how I feel about him, he does not deserve this kind of treatment. He is not his father; he is the staunchest supporter we could wish for. He is kind and generous, and holds the utmost respect for our community and our magic. Please – I just need to know what Mordo wants to do with him.’’

He can pinpoint the moment she caves. ‘’I fear it is too late for that,’’ she answers. ‘’Our community is tired of war, Stephen. I had hoped to steer that weariness towards the beginnings of peace, but I am afraid it has turned into the other direction. If it had been anyone but Howard Stark’s son – but it isn’t.’’

Horrendous realization dawns on Stephen. ‘’Mordo means to make a scapegoat out of Tony.’’

‘’The death of his son will serve to provoke Howard Stark. He will not hold back on his war with our people if it comes to that, Stephen. We have been hiding for the last centuries, and it is only in evading full-fledged war that we have survived. Science has developed too rapidly for us to keep up with, and Howard Stark holds the power to decimate our people with the push of a button.’’

‘’Why hasn’t he yet?’’ Stephen has to ask.

She looks away. ‘’Who knows?’’ she says quietly. ‘’Perhaps he thinks it too much of a crime to commit. Perhaps there is a part of him that recognizes we are human beings. Perhaps he earns more money this way, by capturing us one by one. I do not know his mind, but if his son dies, I believe he will act swiftly. And still, I can’t turn on my own people so visibly.’’

Stephen stands up, walking. At this very moment, Tony is in Mordo’s hands. Who knows what the wizard is doing to the scientist? He does not want to think of Tony screaming, of Tony –

Well.

An idea pops into his head – incredibly reckless and perilous, but it may help him save Tony. As long as he manages that, he will be at peace with whatever happens after.

He looks to the Ancient One. ‘’You may not have to,’’ he says.

~*~

Time echoes.

There is a 

blood-soaked witch.

She clutches her chest and hears the screams of her husband –

and she cannot answer as her body goes limp. The shadow above her, the man her husband once called a friend, takes her into the darkness.

(‘’It was not worth it,’’ the scientist whispers to his daughter many years later. ‘’I lost you, and for that, it was not worth it.’’

She is silent for a long while he falls back into slumber. It is only after that she finds the word she looks for.

‘’You loved her,’’ she whispers to the sleeping figure. ‘’And she loved you back. How can that not have been worth it?’’)

~*~

Stephen takes a grim satisfaction in the surprise on Howard Stark’s face when he appears before him. The butler – Jarvis, he remembers – that brought him to the scientist’s study leaves them to it, and quietly closes the door behind him. 

‘’You’re that friend of my son’s, aren’t you?’’ the man huffs. ‘’What do you want?’’

‘’Tony has been kidnapped,’’ Stephen says at first.

Howard’s eyes narrow. ‘’How would you know?’’ he demands, but he starts dialling Tony’s phone number anyway. Of course, no one picks up.

‘’I know because the one who did it told me,’’ Stephen answers. ‘’But I also know how to save him. Mordo is going to kill him if we don’t hurry.’’

‘’Who are you?’’ Howard snarls, standing up. ‘’Where is my son?’’

(‘’He does not care for me,’’ Tony says as they sit outside in the cold night. Stephen is only wearing jeans and a shirt, but Tony is still shivering in his thick jacket. Stephen smiles as he draws Tony against him, feeling his lover sigh as he is covered in Stephen’s warmth. At this point, he does not yet know of the handy little spell that Stephen uses to regulate his body heat.

‘’Why do you think so?’’ Stephen asks carefully.

Tony shrugs, arming himself with a wry smile. ‘’I am a disappointment to him. I’m not like him, you know; I got the mind and that’s it. I’m not interested in weapons like he is – I like the science of things, but _killing_ with it? Did you know that most wizards and witches only perform enough magic to ward off our attacks? Why can’t people just accept that there’s different people and get on with something more interesting? I don’t know why the magical community hasn’t snapped and killed us all with a single spell.’’

_Because it is very illegal and most of us aren’t granted the knowledge_ , Stephen thinks, and he doesn’t say it.

‘’But none of that means he doesn’t care,’’ he presses instead.

Tony laughs at that. ‘’Believe me,’’ he muffles against Stephen’s coat. ‘’If I wasn’t the heir to his future, I wouldn’t be here.’’)

Stephen does not see that, right now – he sees a man fearing for his son’s life. It is that which ultimately makes up his mind. Howard Stark will do anything to see his son return safely, and that means that his plan will succeed. It has to.

‘’I am a wizard,’’ he says simply, ‘’and here is how we are going to save Tony.’’

He explains until he is done. Howard looks at him with dark eyes and snaps his fingers. When four security men come in to take him away, Stephen does not cry out.

~*~

Magic is –

Stephen can’t imagine not feeling the magic run its course through him. It is not something that he has but something that has hold of him; to be depraved of it would be to be depraved of who he is. Stephen is a sharp mind and dry wit and _science_ – but he is also magic tingling through every vein in his body.

He does not regret who he is. If he had not been science and magic both, he would never have met Tony. He has always had a thirst for knowledge, and it’s _his_. 

Still, Howard Stark and his security seem to be of another mind. They regard him with clear distaste. He does not offer insult – his ankles and wrists are bound by a device that is more than unnecessary. Still, perhaps it is a good thing that it’s here: Stephen would not want anyone to think he is in league with the Nons. That would crush his plan.

The car pulls up in front of the Sanctum. Stephen has given away the address – they can change locations quite easily, of course, and it’s only a simple spell. Moving around the Sanctum is a habit they have been keeping up for many years. He’d have been a bit more wary about the Nons knowing the location of the home to all the wizards of New York otherwise.

‘’You come with me now,’’ Howard hisses, and he drags Stephen out of the car. Stephen falls and scrapes his knees, but the man does not care about such a thing and keeps clawing at him until the wizard finds his feet. 

‘’Sir, maybe we should –‘’ one of the security man starts, but Howard interrupts him before he can finish.

‘’No. This is my business, and no one else’s. You follow, but _I’m_ going to do the talking.’’

All of them carry guns, and Stephen hopes no one will have reason to fire it. Howard opens the door to the Sanctum -

and the noise from inside drowns out all else, even though the hallway is empty. The Nons stand silently looking around them; Stephen can’t blame them. The Sanctum is familiar to him, with its long winding stairs and many crooks, but it’s not easy to navigate for anyone who did not grow up in it or who doesn’t have magic to guide them.

‘’Where are they?’’ one of the men whispers.

‘’Wizard,’’ Howard says strictly. ‘’Tell us where to go. Tell me where my son is.’’

Stephen doesn’t _know_ , but he has a dark suspicion in his mind, and he hopes they will not arrive too late. Mordo wants to make an example out of Tony – he wants to move the war forward. He means to kill Tony to make a statement. And in order to make a statement, he needs a large crowd.

Stephen guides them through the Sanctum with words of haste, and they almost run – Stephen moving as well as he can with his ankles still bound – towards the Gathering Room. It says a lot about Mordo’s performance that no one immediately notices them.

Stephen’s breath pauses when he sees Tony stand next to Mordo. Mordo holds a knife with one hand, the other one forcing Tony on his knees. Despite that, Tony holds his chin high in defiance, not giving away any of the fear he might feel. They are on the platform, too far away for Stephen to reach right now. His heart lunges as he sees Mordo wave around the knife, his voice lifted in a rousing speech.

‘’-too long have we hidden away and let our people suffer! Too long have we not been allowed to fight our enemies, out of a persisting belief we might find peace! Today, we sacrifice the son of our greatest enemy to show him how we have led our lives all these long years! Today, we teach him that we can be stronger than them in every way!’’

The crowd cheers, and Stephen feels sick. A strong hand grasps him by his neck before he can think on it any longer.

‘’Filthy wizards and witches!’’ Howard Stark calls out, and the room falls silent with horror as everyone turns to look at them. ‘’I have one of yours, just as you have my son! I can be convinced to let this scum go, if you give me back what belongs with me.’’

‘’Stephen!’’ he hears his mother cry out, and there are other yells that follow after hers. Stephen does not follow the sound; instead, his eyes find the Ancient One somewhere in the crowd. She looks at him, and nods.

He feels the cold sensation of a gun barrel being put to his temple. ‘’I do not care for your magic,’’ Howard snarls. ‘’If you even lift a single finger, the wizard dies. Give me my son, and we can settle this peacefully.’’

‘’Peacefully!’’ Karl Mordo calls out, and Stephen looks at Tony. ‘’You do not know the meaning of the word! Try your hand at Stephen Strange while I cut your son’s throat!’’

Tony meets his gaze, silent and full of regret. A thousand word could not say what Tony is telling him at that moment, and Stephen’s heart fills with love for this man – this man who would stand here without a gesture in self-defence to show his acceptance of the magical community. A man who would let himself be slaughtered for loving and being loved by Stephen. 

‘’No!’’ the Ancient One roars, as her voice easily surpasses all the others. She joins Mordo on the stage, fierce and otherworldly. ‘’Stephen Strange is one of our own. If we kill this innocent man for his father’s crimes against our people, and let one of our own die for it – what are we, then? Is our revenge worth more than the life of one who shares our magic?’’

Quiet mutters ripple through the wizards and witches, like pebbles falling into the water.

Mordo gives the Ancient One a nasty glare, but has to follow his leader. He takes a step forward, dragging Tony with him – walking towards them. The crowd makes room for them, until no one is between Howard and Mordo –

between Stephen and Tony

except their blood-soaked history.

The world holds it breath as they see each other nearing; Stephen can see the cut marring Tony’s brow, the burning horror in his eyes. Howard starts walking too, and he meets Mordo in the middle of the room. They regard each other for a moment, but Stephen has no eyes for anyone but Tony. Close enough to reach – divided by their enemies.

‘’You have my son,’’ Howard says at last.

Mordo huffs. ‘’You have one of my kind,’’ he answers.

‘’Stephen,’’ Tony whispers. ‘’What did you do?’’

‘’Silent!’’ Mordo barks. ‘’You have no right to speak here.’’

‘’Then you shouldn’t have brought him here!’’ Stephen finds himself yelling, and his anger rises. It is unfair, this deal – he should not have to make deals with his enemies to save the one he loves from the one who is part of his family, in a way. His mood contrast his sitting position, at the mercy of the father of his lover, the enemy holding him at gunpoint.

‘’I am saving our people!’’ Mordo yells back.

‘’You are killing our people!’’ Stephen retorts. ‘’Do you think war is going to save us, Karl Mordo? Do you think that the Nons are undeserving of peace and life, because they have been born without magic? Because that’s what the Nons think about us! Saving us means securing _peace_! Saving us means that we have to learn to love those that are different from us!’’

‘’You find that easy, don’t you?’’ Mordo spats.

Stephen takes a deep breath. ‘’Yes,’’ he answers honestly. ‘’I do. Because when it comes to the most important things, we aren’t very different at all.’’

‘’Shut up, the two of you!’’ Howard interferes. ‘’I don’t want to spend a second longer here than I have to. Give me my son and we’ll be on my way.’’

Mordo throws Tony at the ground, and Stephen glares at him. ‘’Pathetic Nons,’’ Mordo says. ‘’You must have picked up a few bad habits to get caught like that, haven’t you, Strange? You do not deserve even the ground you walk on!’’

Tony rises slowly. ‘’Come here, son, before the freak tests me even further,’’ Howard growls. 

Tony’s eyes flit between his father and Stephen as he gets to his feet. ‘’Dad –‘’ he starts, but Mordo talks over him.

‘’Who is the freak here? The guys deaf to magic or the room full of people ready to unleash it at a moment’s notice? For all your talk of intelligence, you do not seem to see that it’s us who have the advantage of you here. This knife is more than just –‘’

In a split second, the cold metal of the gun barrel is removed from Stephen’s head and a loud noise fills the room. Stephen can hardly keep up as he sees Tony’s mouth form a perfect ‘o’, his brown eyes liquid and wide – he barely comprehends what is happening when Tony pushes away Mordo and falls to the ground.

Indeed, he doesn’t understand what’s happening until the ground under Tony stains red.

~*~

Once upon a time –

time echoes.

There is a 

blood-soaked scientist.

His eyes close and the wizard who loves him cries out –

he does not hear him. The shadow above him, the man his lover once called a friend, looks on in shock as he sees the scientist he calls his enemy die from a bullet meant for him.

~*~

Time echoes.

A scientist is deeply in love and is willing to die for it.

This time, he gets the chance.

~*~

Time echoes – but even echoes fade into nothing.

‘’Please don’t go,’’ Stephen Strange mutters as he cradles his scientist. ‘’Tony, please – I need you, Tony –‘’

‘’Tony –‘’ Howard Stark begins, but the wizard turns as the man gets closer.

‘’If you come _any closer_ , I will murder you,’’ he snarls. Howard fired the gun – he meant to kill Mordo and Tony saved someone who had threatened him with a knife only minutes earlier. He took a bullet for someone who would have killed him in a heartbeat and laughed about it.

‘’Stephen,’’ the Ancient One suddenly murmurs as she crouches next to him. ‘’Stephen, he is not gone yet.’’

Stephen lets his magic run through the body in his arms. No, Tony isn’t dead yet, but his breath is shallow and the bullet is still lodged in his body. He is losing blood far too quickly and –

and Stephen is a doctor. He has studied Non medicine, he is a skilled wizard. If anyone has the will and means to save Tony, it’s him. He takes a deep breath as he meets the Ancient One’s pale gaze. He does not even need to say a word as he spreads both his hands over Tony’s chest, magic tingling at his fingertips.

Then his eyes snap open. ‘’The first thing we need to do is to get the bullet out,’’ he says. 

The Nons and the magical community seem to be watching him silently. ‘’Tell us what we can do,’’ one of the security men says, and the others nod. 

‘’Us too,’’ a witch says and she steps forward.

Stephen tells them.

~*~

Once upon a time –

a wizard leans over a scientist, his face drawn with worry.

Once upon a time –

a scientist holds onto life with every breath he takes.

(In another lifetime a scientist thinks of his sadness and murmurs: ‘’It was not worth it. I lost you, and for that, it was not worth it.’’)

And he breathes. And breathes. And breathes.

Stephen falls asleep to the steady beep of Tony’s heartbeat and the memory of his own blood-soaked hands as he had given his all to save his love.

(In this lifetime a wizard thinks of his happiness and whispers: ‘’I do not care how this ends. It will have been worth it to hold you.’’)

Stephen sleeps, and dreams, and smiles.

~*~

‘’Stephen,’’ Tony mumbles. ‘’Stephen, wake up.’’

Stephen wakes – at his neck hurts and he grimaces as he sits up, but the feeling is gone quickly when he sees Tony’s smile. ‘’Tony,’’ he breathes. ‘’Are you okay?’’

‘’I think you should tell me that, doctor,’’ Tony laughs quietly. ‘’Did I survive, or is this just how the afterlife works?’’

Stephen scowls and flicks him in the face for it. Tony smiles brightly at him and Stephen thinks about how grateful he is that he didn’t lose this, that Tony is still here and alive and warm under his hands. So he does what any man would do in that situation; he kisses him.

‘’Careful,’’ Stephen says as he pulls back and Tony wants to follow after him. ‘’I stitched your wound, and I’d prefer not to do it again.’’

Tony grimaces but obeys him. ‘’So the day finally came my dad shot me, huh?’’

Stephen sighs. ‘’Well, at least he didn’t do it on purpose.’’

‘’That’s not as much of a consolation as you seem to think it is.’’

He grins at Tony’s raised eyebrows. ‘’Perhaps not,’’ he admits. ‘’But he did call a temporary truce when we were all very busy trying to save your life. As much as I hate how close I came to losing you – it did a great deal of good for the relationship between your people and mine.’’

‘’Well, glad to be of service,’’ Tony replies. ‘’If you need me to be shot again, just let me know. Always glad to be the end station of a bullet.’’

The wizard glares at him. ‘’If you ever do that again, I’m going to murder you myself,’’ he decides.

Tony’s eyes soften slightly. ‘’Why? Couldn’t bear to lose me?’’

Stephen can’t resist and captures Tony’s lips with his own once more. ‘’Hardly. I’m not officially a doctor yet and you’re already making me work overtime. I’ll send you the bill soon.’’

‘’I can think of a few ways to pay it,’’ Tony jokes, and the following kisses are anything but playful – they are a reassurance.

They are both still here, and the future is a bit brighter for it.

~*~

Once upon a time –

there was a wizard in love.

Once upon a time –

a scientist was in love, too.

If you think this is a fairy-tale, think again.

This is a blood-soaked

history

filled with monsters.

But even some histories know endings and new beginnings. The world breathes as Howard Stark shakes the hand of the wizard who saved his son’s life – he isn’t happy, but it is a first step. His son and the wizard he loves will make sure of that.

No, it’s not a fairy-tale. But that does not mean it can’t have a happy ending.

~*~

The Ancient One nods at him as Stephen enters the meditating room. She is the only one there, and he thinks that she arranged for it that way.

He bows before he sits before her.

‘’You have grown into an extraordinary man, Stephen Strange,’’ she says. ‘’You are no longer the arrogant child I used to teach. You are a wizard and a doctor, and you may just be what our community needs.’’

He inclines his head to her. ‘’Because you convinced others to let me go to university,’’ he answers. ‘’I wouldn’t be here if not for you.’’

It draws a smile from her. ‘’Perhaps not,’’ she acknowledges. ‘’Only because I saw potential – you turned it into something real. You have seen what I see – peace. And now, Stephen, comes the time to work for it. To take this turning of the tides and create it into something new.’’

Stephen nods. ‘’Howard Stark will never be fond of the magical community, but Tony may be able to convince him to stop the witch-hunt. When Tony takes over his company, everything will change. If Stark Industries stops the experiments and hunts, others will follow. Not everyone, but it will be enough to make peace.’’

‘’It will be,’’ she answers. ‘’I have faith that we can come to a true peace, this time. It may take a few more decades before all the animosity is gone, but this is a start.’’

‘’What about the community?’’ Stephen asks uncertainly. ‘’They have helped out with Tony tremendously, but only because they saw him take a bullet for Mordo. Will _they_ be amenable to peace, after we’ve lost so many? I know Karl Mordo is not the only one who thinks of the Nons in the way he does.’’

‘’Karl Mordo is rigid and unmoveable – but even he saw what happened. I am giving everyone who thinks as he does a choice – stay and make peace, or leave and be alone.’’

‘’Exile?’’ he says sceptically.

‘’Not exactly,’’ the Ancient One answers wryly. ‘’They can come back if they want, I’ve told them. If they leave, they will inevitably spend time with Nons, and perhaps that will force them to reconsider their views. Of course, they may simply conjure themselves to another Sanctum, but this change will spread. There will be peace, Stephen. We will make sure of it.’’

Stephen nods, and stands up. ‘’Thank you for your help, Ancient One.’’

‘’Stephen,’’ she says suddenly and he turns. ‘’I would like you to finish your education. You are not a doctor quite yet, and it would be a shame to waste your talents now we all have seen what your efforts measure up to.’’

He smiles at that, and bows once again for good measure. ‘’As you say.’’

~*~

They walk out of the Sanctum hand in hand.

‘’I’ll admit, I will miss being fussed over by wizards and witches,’’ Tony admits as they stop before the door. ‘’And being jumped on by kids who want to know about our way of life.’’

‘’You are always welcome to return to our Sanctum,’’ Stephen tells him, kissing his hands for good measure. ‘’You belong with me, and you’ve almost given your life to save a wizard. No matter how they feel about other Nons, you are welcome.’’

Tony smiles at that, and drops Stephen’s hand as he goes in for a kiss. ‘’Why can’t you come with me now?’’ he demands. ‘’I’ll make you some space in my workshop. You can read your medicine books and I’ll work on a robot. It’ll be just like old times.’’

Stephen is loath to let him go, but it’s only for a little while. ‘’I have things to do here,’’ he answers easily. ‘’And you have things to do on your end. And then I’ll see you whenever both of us have time.’’

Tony sighs. They’ve gone over this a few times already, but neither of them is quite ready to let go.

‘’I love you, my wizard,’’ he murmurs and presses a last chase kiss to Stephen’s lips before pulling away.

‘’And I love you, my scientist,’’ Stephen returns and watches as Tony leaves with a longing look.

They will be together again.

~*~

The true beginning is love.

It’s only fitting that the ending is love, too.

~*~

Once upon a time –

there was a wizard in love.

Once upon a time –

a scientist was in love, too.

there is nothing left to say but that they lived happily ever after, indeed.

~*~

‘’Hello there, my wizard,’’ Tony Stark says as he enters their home. His suit is impeccable and a pair of orange-tinted sunglasses rest on his nose. 

Stephen greets him with a kiss after he closes his book on peripheral and cerebrovascular intervention. ‘’Hello there, my scientist,’’ he returns.

Tony grins. ‘’Hardly a scientist at the moment,’’ he says. ‘’Spending the whole day with businessmen really makes me wonder why I accepted the position as CEO and why I’m not spending my days in the workshop instead.’’

‘’It’s because you’ve grown into a responsible man who wants to change the world,’’ Stephen concludes. 

Tony laughs. ‘’Hardly responsible. I was late to my first meeting, and I’m blaming it on you.’’

Stephen shrugs. It was his fault, and he does not regret it for one bit. ‘’It was worth it,’’ he says, and if it sounds more sincere than the situation calls for, neither of them mention it. Tony’s eyes go a bit softer and he leans against Stephen.

‘’Drink up,’’ Stephen says, handing Tony a glass and with a flick of his wrist, filling it up with water. ‘’We have another meeting to go to. You wouldn’t want to keep those children waiting, would you?’’

Tony smiles even as he drains the water, and Stephen opens up a portal for both of them to go through. They enter the Sanctum, and a little over a dozen children are already waiting for them with wide eyes.

‘’Mister Tony!’’ most of them call out, and Tony waves at them.

Stephen just shakes his head as he leans against the wall to watch. Tony is remarkably good with kids, and the children of the magical community are his favourite. 

He is glad enough to see Tony teach the new generation of witches and wizards the basics of technology and science – an opportunity only granted to him, before. These children will grow up to be a combination of both worlds, just like Stephen, and he cannot help but grin as he sees a particularly witty witch ask the insightful questions he used to ask.

Tony looks over at him and smiles, genuine and fond.

They are building a new world, and Stephen knows it is worth _everything_.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments & kudos make my day :)


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